1 Push the switch on your thermostat and you feel refreshing, chilly air. That's all you really need to know when the hot, muggy atmosphere in your home is making your life miserable. But in case you want to know more about how air conditioning actually works, here it is.2 And by the way, your air conditioner and your refrigerator work the same way. In fact, an air conditioner is basically the same thing as a refrigerator - it just cools a bigger space.3 An air conditioner works by removing heat from the air in your home. To do this, it uses a chemical known as a refrigerant that changes easily from a gas to a liquid and from a liquid to a gas. This chemical is pumped into the air conditioner at the factory where it is made. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a class of chemicals that have been often used as refrigerants. Since CFC's are harmful to the ozone layer, an air conditioner must be recycled when it is no longer useful.4 Small air conditioners known as window units are all in one piece. Whole house air conditioners have a part outside the house, usually in the back yard, and a part inside which may be combined with the heating system. Even larger air conditioners, such as those used in large businesses and malls, have outside units on the roof as well as inside units. The air conditioners with both inside parts and outside parts are known as split systems.